As the first Call of Duty game since the split between mega publisher Activision and the talented team at Infinity Ward, there was a lot riding on the back of Black Ops. Could Call of Duty as we know it continue to exist even without the original partnership that produced the best titles in the franchise? The short answer to that is yes.

With Black Ops, Treyarch has stepped into the shoes vacated by Infinity Ward, and delivered a CoD experience that dovetails nicely with the Modern Warfare titles. The cinematic, white-knuckled first-person-shooter (FPS) action and addictive multiplayer are all present in this enjoyable, though slightly less polished, entry into the series.

Although it’s set in the 1960s, and somewhat rooted in historical reality, Black Ops still feels very much like a modern-era shooting title. You’re still going to have tons of cutting-edge and crazy weapons at your disposal, but this logic can somewhat be explained by the fact that, in real life, military technology was often field-tested by Black Op teams.

In terms of its narrative, Call of Duty: Black Ops eschews anything deft or subtle for a more over-the-top action-movie approach. While the story does enough to hold up a game of this size and magnitude, there is no singular moment that hits as hard as, say, the “No Russian” mission in Modern Warfare 2, and the plot pacing is more popcorn flick than Oscar winner.

As for the signature Call of Duty action set pieces, well they are still here. So if it was more Modern Warfare you wanted, well you got it. Nothing is particularly innovative (save for some very cool weapons), but that’s not exactly a bad thing.

Rather than bury the lead, let’s just tell you right up front that the multiplayer in Call of Duty: Black Ops carries on the great pedigree of the CoD name. All of your favorite online game modes are back and the few, but smart, new iterations only help to make the experience even better.

The ranking system is still present in Black Ops, but now there is a greater focus on points, or a currency upgraded element. As you advance and gain experience in the multiplayer, you’ll earn money, which can be used to buy additional perks and accessories for your character, or even risked in Contracts for high-stakes game matches. The new Wager Matches lets people ante up in some pretty original game modes (like One in the Chamber, where all the paying players have one bullet and a knife) to try to make a fast buck.

One other new addition, especially for newcomers to the franchise, is the combat training mode, which lets you create multiplayer-style games but with AI bots. Excellent in theory, but only solid in execution, as the computer-controlled players can tend to be a bit janky from round to round.

At the end of the day, all you really need to consider is if you are in the mood for an action-packed game with an over-the-top story and great multiplayer functionality that plays a lot like Modern Warfare 2. If it’s what you want, and we expect it probably is, then you’ve found yourself a new FPS holiday title.